Cuttack: Orissa high court on Friday dismissed an election petition filed against BJP MLA and minister Pradeep Bal Samanta, upholding his 2024 victory from Sukinda assembly constituency.Former MLA Pritiranjan Ghadei of BJD, who lost to Samanta by a margin of 9,577 votes, filed the election petition. Ghadei had questioned Samant’s election to the assembly, alleging suppression of pending criminal cases and incorrect disclosure of educational qualifications in his nomination papers.
Holding that the petition fell short of the statutory requirements, Justice Mishra said, “This court is of the considered opinion that the pleadings contained in the Election Petition do not disclose the material facts necessary to constitute a cause of action within the meaning of Section 83(1)(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.”The allegation on educational qualification was also termed vague and unsupported. “In the result, the Election Petition stands dismissed for want of any cause of action,” the court said.
